"Unwelcome Return", eNewsletter, Kansas Insider

 

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2021 COVID's back After a long, steady drop in COVID case numbers, the pandemic has taken a turn for the worse. Positive cases and hospitalizations are climbing again in Kansas. Now, the contagious delta variant, and a lack of people who are vaccinated, are bringing Kansas back to a situation not seen since early this year. Health experts continue to urge people to get the COVID vaccine. The Kansas News Service’s Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on the skyrocketing numbers. "These are just heroic vaccines." — Vaughn Cooper, from the University of Pittsburgh, on the positive impact of getting the COVID vaccine. Who can order masks? Who can tell you to mask up in Kansas? There's no easy answer. School districts and government officials are once again looking at mask requirements as COVID cases rise. Kansas lawmakers approved a bill earlier this year that clamped down on the ability of the governor and local governments to respond to the pandemic, but then a court struck that law down. The issue is now on appeal. Abigail Censky of the Kansas News Service reports on the legal limbo. Electric farm truck There’s good reason a Chevy Bolt EV, Tesla or electric Ford F-150 could show up in the farm store parking lot next to a line of gas and diesel trucks. Rural areas of Kansas are a good fit for electric vehicles because the longer distances driven by residents mean more savings compared to internal combustion vehicles. But as Brian Grimmett of the Kansas News Service reports, there are some obstacles to rural EV adoption. No more MD A Johnson County doctor surrendered his medical license after pleading guilty to asking drug companies for kickbacks. Dr. Steven M. Simon admitted that in 2017 he told a drug company that he would stop prescribing the company’s drugs unless the manufacturer paid him for speaking engagements. Simon got more than $1 million from drug companies, according to records. Dan Margolies reports for KCUR on the developments. Over the next few weeks, we'll be introducing our readers to members of the Kansas News Service team.  Meet Abigail Censky "I joined the Kansas News Service as the Politics Correspondent earlier this year. It’s my job to bring what’s going on in statewide politics to our audience in a way that’s clear, thought-provoking, and hopefully not headache-inducing. "That could mean covering the daily grind of the legislature in Topeka or traveling across Kansas to speak with people who are being impacted by policies. "When I’m not working, I prefer to be far away from my phone, basking in the sunshine with my partner and my senior dog." Find more of Abigail's work here, and follow her on Twitter @AbigailCensky. Enjoying The Insider? Share with a friend. Have comments or questions for the editor? Let us know what you think. Not an Insider subscriber? Sign up now. Subscribe